Instrumental
by Kittengrl39
Summary: (In-struh-men-tahl), n. a.) An interlude of music in a song during which there are no words. b.) Necessary to implement a plan; tool. c.) A tale of demons, summoning, and music, the likes of which you've never heard before. d.) All of the above. COMPLETE!
1. The Time Before

Hey!  
  
Yes, I know, I should really be focusing on finishing up the other stories, but I just had to write this. It's one of my first really good ideas. I'm trying out a first-person view, and yes, it is a male OC. So sue me.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do own Taki (rhymes with pocky) and this storyline. So don't borrow either without my permission, okay?  
  
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Instrumental  
  
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A stream of notes floated away on the breeze, and I sighed happily.  
  
"One note for pure joy,  
  
One note for anger,  
  
One note for attack,  
  
One note for summoning," I recited, remembering the words, both instruction and promise. Someday I'd live up to them.  
  
I'd always loved music, to the consternation of my family. To them, music was something to be enjoyed at holidays and feasts, nothing more. But to me... I could feel the notes, swirling inside me, stirring up emotions and images of people far away, those who wrote the songs.   
  
I'd learned to play the flute, and could sing most songs, if I was familiar with them. I was always willing to learn to play other instruments, but the flute was my favorite. It didn't really matter what I played, though - after the song was done, my family would just get on with life.  
  
I sighed, reflecting on that. My family lived in a rather isolated area. It wasn't quite in the mountains, but we did live on the side of a rather large hill, our only neighbor being an old man in a shack about a mile down the road. We rarely went anywhere civilized, because we produced almost all our own food. This was a working farm, intended to feed nothing more than our family. Occasionally, a visitor or two would pass by, but we mostly lived by ourselves.   
  
"Ourselves" included Ma, me, three sisters and three brothers, the youngest of which was nine. My father had left when I was barely three. He had stormed out of the house, saying, "I just can't stand it any more! I don't know how you can! I care about you, but I can't stay if it means living here!" My Ma had let him go. She knew that he wasn't coming back, but she also refused to move. She had done an admirable job of raising us. Except for me.  
  
I sighed again. I had always been the odd one out. Ma claimed that there had been a huge storm the day of my birth, and the air had felt funny all day. Maybe that was why I looked so strange. My hair was an odd shade of blue-green, and my eyes were bright blue. It didn't help that I had an Asiatic cast to my features, with high cheekbones and slanted eyes. My father had had a DNA test done on me when I was old enough, just to prove that I was really his son. I was.   
  
My friend Martha happened to be the daughter of one of the scientists at the clinic. I saw her on our semi-annual trips to the city to get clothing and other essentials we couldn't produce on the farm. When we were seven, she snuck into the records at the clinic and found my test. She said that it was true, I was his child, and that she had found some interesting coding in my DNA that would account for my odd coloring. She then launched into a technical explanation of point-shift mutations and chemical formulas that I didn't understand a word of. Basically, what it boiled down to was that my cells had somehow inserted or deleted a codon that turned out to be similar to the DNA of an Asian person, and my hair had chemicals in it that normally didn't occur in human beings.  
  
Great. So I have mutant hair.  
  
I shrugged away my worries. They didn't really matter, anyways. As long as I had my music, everything was all right.  
  
"Taki! Time for dinner!"  
  
I looked over at my oldest sister from where I sat, perched high in an oak tree. Shira smiled, her eyes laughing. I couldn't help but grin back.  
  
Shira was my oldest sister, and the only one who understood my love of music. She was 15, whereas I was only 12, but the age difference didn't bother me. She also loved to hear and play music, although not with the same passion I did. Her music was filled with light and happiness, and felt like a light summer breeze.   
  
She was beautiful, too. Her soft brown hair reached to the middle of her back, and her eyes were the color of my hair. Her delicate frame might mean she was unsuited for farm work, but it was perfect for a musician. She and I sometimes played duets, me on my flute, she on her clarinet.  
  
"All right, I'm coming," I said, stretching. "I'll be down in a minute. You go on ahead."  
  
She nodded and ran off towards the house. It was close to sunset, and the sky was beginning to show a rainbow of color. It would have been beautiful... but I had to go to dinner.  
  
I sighed one last time and set off for the house.   
  
I had almost reached it when I sensed that something was wrong. Normally, there would be several children converging on the back door from wherever they were playing. I knew I was late, but I couldn't be that late - there were usually a few stragglers...  
  
I opened the door and stopped, mouth wide in horror. My three youngest brothers and sisters were dead. Someone had cut their throats and thrown them in a heap by the door.  
  
My stomach churned, and I lost all appetite for dinner. I finally stumbled past them, desperately searching for someone that would make this make sense.  
  
I heard voices from the living room and headed in that direction, to be confronted by a horrible scene.   
  
Two strange men were standing the middle of the living room, one of them holding Shira. She had been gagged, and her arms were held behind her back by a huge man. The other was staring scornfully at my mother, who was begging for Shira's life.  
  
"Please, let her go. She's my daughter. You don't understand! Please! Give my daughter back!"  
  
The blond man listening to her laughed. "After all we've been through to get her? I don't think so."  
  
Ma's eyes filled with rage, and she charged the man...  
  
He lifted one hand, almost casually, and hit her.  
  
Ma slammed against the wall, arms outspread, and I heard the awful sound of her neck breaking. Her eyes were still round with shock as she slid to the floor.  
  
"Ma!" I cried, and ran over to her.   
  
She was definitely dead. There was no heartbeat, and her head lolled at an awful angle. At least it had been a clean death.  
  
I felt my immeasurable shock turn to grief, and then anger, in a split second. My eyes spilled tears as I rose from beside my mother's body, fists clenched. "Bastards... You'll pay for this!" I screamed as I ran towards them, hoping to get a hit, anything, to make them pay for what they had done.  
  
But the blond-haired man that had killed Ma just laughed and grabbed me by the throat, raising me up into the air. I choked, scrabbling at the hand that held me so easily.  
  
"You little brat..." he chuckled softly. "What could you ever hope to do against us?"  
  
"Hey," called the black-haired muscle man, the one with my sister. "We got the Summoner. Now let's go."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," the one who held me said, tightening his grip. I would have screamed in pain, except I had no breath to do so.  
  
He tossed me in a heap on the floor and left with the other one. The last I saw of them was Shira, looking back, wild and terrified. Then they were gone.  
  
My last thought was, ~Shira...~  
  
Then I blacked out.  
  
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Read and review! 


	2. Damages

Whee! Second chapter!  
  
Review responses:  
  
Naoko Kensaku: *wince* Yes, I know, I know. Look for a second chapter of "Origins" soon after this is put up.  
  
xOneWingedAngelx: Thanks. You're a pretty good author yourself.   
  
A/N: I think the third genre of this story should be angst. You'll understand after you read this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I own Taki. That's it.  
  
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Instrumental  
  
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Pain...  
  
That was my first feeling when I awoke. The next was blood.   
  
I jerked my head up.   
  
A column of smoke was rising from the wreckage of our house. The strangers must have set it on fire before they left. No one could possibly be left alive.  
  
I felt tears start to burn my eyes, when I heard a cough. I looked down - into the face of my oldest brother, Danshi.  
  
He coughed again, weakly, and opened his eyes. "Hey, little bro," he whispered in a hoarse voice. His face was covered in ashes and blood, and there was a large cut on his forehead. Despite all this, he smiled.   
  
"I dragged you... from the flames," he said. He was obviously having trouble breathing, and I could feel his strength fading fast. I tried to clean the blood off his face, but he stayed my hand. "No..." He shook his head slightly. "It's too late... for me." His hand fell to his chest, and I saw that his shirt was dark with blood. He must have had another wound I didn't know about.  
  
"No one else... is left," he coughed. "I... checked. You were the... last one." He raised one hand to touch my face. I tried to speak, but I couldn't. "Take care... of yourself. Find... Shira."  
  
His eyes closed, and his hand went limp.   
  
He was dead.  
  
I wanted to cry, to howl, to do something - but-  
  
I gasped in pain and held my throat. The blond man had done more damage than he knew. I wasn't dead-   
  
But I couldn't speak.  
  
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I wandered among the ruins of what had once been my home. Charred and blackened beams were everywhere - and so were the bodies. My family was dead; my sister, kidnapped. But I couldn't do anything for Shira now.  
  
I dug graves for my family with a slightly singed shovel I found in the shed. The fire hadn't quite reached that far. When they were buried, I went searching for suitable grave markers.   
  
I had gathered some pine branches and was taking them back to the graves when my foot bumped against something hard and metallic. I looked down to see my flute. I must have dropped it while I was running to the house - the fire hadn't touched it. I smiled bitterly and picked it up.  
  
When the pine branches had been planted at the head of each grave, I kneeled a moment in prayer. Then I took up my flute and played a song - a sad song. A funeral song.   
  
I might not be able to speak...  
  
... but I could still play music.  
  
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I barged through the door of the old man's house.  
  
He dropped his soup bowl, startled. "What the hell-" He took one look at me and modified whatever he had been about to say. "- happened to you?"  
  
I strode over to his desk and grabbed a notepad and pen.   
  
"My house is burned down and my family is dead," I wrote, then showed it to him.  
  
He stared at it, then back at me, eyes wide. "But who-?"  
  
I grabbed the notepad back and wrote, "I don't know."  
  
He peered at me closely. "Why aren't you speaking?"  
  
I sighed and sat down, gesturing for him to do so as well. This was going to be a long night.  
  
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After some time, I had gotten the whole story written down for him, with the old man reading over my shoulder. As I finished the last of it, he sighed and sat down. "That's a terrible story, that is," he said, rubbing at his temples. "I don't really know what to tell you."  
  
"Do you know the men who kidnapped my sister?" I wrote.  
  
He shook his head grimly. "No, but from what you told me, they sound like demons."  
  
I stared at him in shock, forgetting to write.   
  
He sighed. "I know it sounds hard to believe, but there are demons. And, judging from what they did to your mother -" He eyed me seriously. "No human man could have accomplished such a casual display of power. However - a demon could. Especially if it was a higher-class demon."  
  
I used to think the old man was a little crazy, but after what I had just been through, I could believe anything. And his answer certainly made sense.  
  
"But why did they kidnap my sister?" I wrote.  
  
"You said- I mean-" He seemed at a loss for words for a moment, then continued, "The two men called her a 'Summoner', right?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Well, it sounds to me as if they need her to call a higher-class demon up," he said. "Several ancient demons have been imprisoned, and it usually requires something special to break the seals."  
  
"You mean like a sacrifice?" I scribbled, my hand shaking in anger.  
  
The old man shook his head. "No, most seals aren't that simple. Besides, why would they come all the way out here for a sacrifice? They could easily have picked up a girl from the city."  
  
I pondered this for a moment. It did make sense.  
  
"They must want something else from her," he mused. "Make her do something..."  
  
I realized the answer with a jolt.  
  
Music!  
  
"They want her to play music for them!" I wrote furiously. If I could talk, I would have been shouting. "There must be a special song or piece of music they want her to play, and that will summon the demon!"  
  
"Yes, that could be it," the old man said. "But now that we know, what can we do about it? Heaven knows where those demons have gone with her. It would take years before you found the exact demon they're trying to resurrect, much less get there and save your sister."  
  
"Teach me," I wrote.  
  
"Eh?" His eyebrows rose as he read what I had written. "What do you mean, teach you?"  
  
"I won't be able to carry a notepad and pen everywhere I go," I wrote with a steady hand. "But I will be able to carry my flute."  
  
He nodded slowly, as what I meant became clear to him.   
  
This wasn't just any old man. He was the one who had taught me to play my flute. He had a lot of theories about music - and a lot of old knowledge. He knew what I meant when I said I could feel the notes. And he could teach me to use the music.  
  
Use it as my voice.  
  
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Exciting, ne?  
  
Don't worry, the Tantei should be coming within the next chapter or so. Until then, read and review! 


	3. A Misguided Capture

Yay! Third chapter!  
  
The Tantei finally show up! But in what way?  
  
Review responses:  
  
Naoko Kensaku: My dedicated reviewer. ^_^ Yeah, I thought it seemed better than the crap I usually write. Maybe this is finally working out.  
  
Matthias Drake the White Raven: Hi! Thanks for reviewing. Glad you liked it.  
  
xOneWingedAngelx: Aw, don't be like that, I like your story...  
  
Kirae: But you didn't review the recent chapter.  
  
Me: O_O I didn't?! *checks* Oh, crap, you're right! Gotta go do that!  
  
Disclaimer: I own Taki. That's it.  
  
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Instrumental  
  
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~*~*~* 2 years later ~*~*~*~  
  
I leaned back against the wall of the building, brushing some of my hair back from my face. I'd gotten it cut since that incident two years ago. Now it reached past the top of my ears, but its thickness was such that I had to comb it every morning or risk looking like the vagabond I was pretending to be - or was. I couldn't quite tell which.  
  
I'd gotten myself some decent clothes, too. I wore a dark green t-shirt with blue jeans. Not that anybody would notice. No ordinary person could see past my illusion. Speaking of which...  
  
It was showtime.  
  
I sat down with my money-bag in front of me and pulled out my flute. Today, I chose to start off with a piece that I was particularly proud of. It had undertones of what-beautiful-music, let's-stop-and-listen, that-boy-looks-poor, and let's-give-him-some-money, and still managed to be a pretty good tune. In each of the listener's minds, I tapped my music directly into their consciousness - meanwhile effectively eliminating any thoughts of my odd appearance. Once the first illusion was in place, I could play anything I wanted and they wouldn't notice me. It wasn't cheating - not really. I never forced them to give up their money. I just mildly hinted that the music was good, so why not give the musician a dollar or two?  
  
I'd gotten much more proficient at this since I'd begun. I had stayed with the old man long enough to learn everything he had to teach me. Then, about a year ago, I set off to find Shira.  
  
My fingers started to play a folk song without my thinking about it. I let them; I was absorbed in memories.   
  
Everywhere I went, I had listened for any word of the blond man and the black-haired one, possibly with a brown-haired girl with them. Slowly, I learned that the blond was Chiris, and the black-haired Goron. They appeared in various places from time to time, speaking about a demon powerful enough to destroy everything. They had the power to control it, and once it came...  
  
That was the trouble; I didn't know what would happen next. I couldn't ask anyone about it, and the bits and pieces I heard were too vague, too hard to piece together.  
  
I came back to reality to realize that my audience was clapping and waiting for the next tune. I thought a moment, then grinned. I'd give them something they definitely hadn't heard before... a little tune I learned in the Makai...  
  
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Kurama was walking down a side street for no particular reason; he had simply wanted to go for a walk, and this was the shortest route to the park. Then he heard something he definitely should not have heard. Not here, anyways. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he searched for the source of the music. Nobody should know that here, in the Ningenkai.  
  
He found the source fairly quickly; a boy, entertaining a small audience with his flute. But-   
  
He frowned. There was something odd about the boy's appearance... it didn't quite add up...  
  
Kurama investigated the phenomenon with his energy and came to realize that the boy was projecting an illusion - and quite a skillful one, too. He used a combination of telepathy and empathy at a low level to affect the basics of what the audience saw - enough to mask his odd hair color and not-quite-ragged clothes. He also used it to deepen the meaning of the song, making it seem like there were words to it, when there was actually nothing but music. Despite this, he didn't seem to be taking advantage of his talent - he had scarcely more than any other street player Kurama had seen. Still... there was the matter of the Makai tune, and how the boy had come to know it.  
  
He kept his distance until the boy had finished his set of music and the audience had drifted off. Then he approached, calling, "Hello! Could I speak to you for a moment?"  
  
The boy looked back with startled eyes, then broke into a run.  
  
Kurama chased after him, wondering why he was so afraid. "Hey, stop! I just- Slow down a little, will you?"  
  
But the boy kept running with no signs of stopping. Luckily, Kurama spotted Yusuke and Kuwabara lurking in the alley just up ahead. "Yusuke, Kuwabara! Could you stop that boy?!"  
  
Kuwabara obliged. As the boy ran past, he reached out and lightly tapped him on the head.  
  
The kid went down like a stone. His fist unclenched, and something smooth and metallic rolled out. Yusuke picked it up, staring. "A flute?"  
  
Kurama caught up, panting slightly, then looked down at the boy with dismay. "I didn't tell you to knock him unconscious!"  
  
Yusuke bristled. "He was running and you were chasing after him, and you told us to stop him. What were we supposed to think?!"  
  
Kurama sighed. "True. But I just wanted to talk with him."  
  
"What for?" Kuwabara asked, propping the kid against the wall.   
  
"He was playing a tune from the Makai," Kurama explained. "I wanted to know where he learned it."  
  
Yusuke raised his eyebrows. "From the Makai?" He stared down at the kid, looking rather helpless now that he was unconscious. "No wonder you told us to stop him. I'd like to know, too."  
  
"Well, we can't just leave him here, now that you've injured him," Kurama decided. "We'll have to take him somewhere to recover."  
  
"How about my house?" Yusuke offered. "My mom's out, and there's room enough in the living room to fit him in."  
  
Kurama shrugged. "Sure."  
  
Kuwabara picked the boy up, and they started towards Yusuke's house.  
  
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~Ow... my head...~  
  
I came to groggily, wondering where I was. Why was I on carpet? Where was my flute?  
  
"Hey, I think he's waking up."  
  
I stared around me. Who were these people?  
  
Memory came back in a flash, and I remembered someone chasing me, coming after me. I ducked down an alley, and someone hit me... and I blacked out...  
  
I backed against the wall frantically, and my wandering hands found my flute. I grabbed it, put it to my lips, and blew out a quick query. ~Wh-who are you?~  
  
All three of the boys jumped back, startled. "Hey, I heard that! In my head!" one of them exclaimed, a tall one with orange hair.  
  
"Of course you did. As I explained to you before, he uses a combination of telepathy and empathy, triggered by music," another said calmly. This one was a red-head, and he moved with a grace that wasn't quite human.  
  
~Telepathy? Empathy? I just play the music!~ I thought to myself desperately. I raised the flute to my lips and repeated my question. ~Who are you?~  
  
"Well, no matter how he's doing it, it would be rude not answer his question," said the third, a black-haired teen. He grinned at me. "My name's Yusuke."  
  
"Kuwabara," grunted the tall one.  
  
"And I am Kurama," said the redhead. Yusuke looked at him sharply, and I sensed a swift, silent conversation taking place. Yusuke shrugged finally, and Kurama turned his attention back to me. "What is your name?"  
  
I concentrated on the series of notes that meant me. ~Taki.~  
  
"Hey, why doesn't he talk?" Kuwabara asked.  
  
"I think-" Kurama rose and advanced toward me, stopping just short of my feet. "May I?"  
  
I understood what he meant, but it was hard for me. I hadn't allowed anyone to touch my throat since it had been injured. But this 'Kurama' looked trustworthy, even if he had chased me. I gulped and nodded.  
  
Kurama knelt down beside me and touched my neck. It wasn't as bad as I had thought. His fingers were cool against my throat as they explored it, and he was very gentle. I think I might have started purring right then and there if Kurama hadn't spoken.  
  
"He can't."  
  
"What?!" Now Yusuke was staring at me too.  
  
Kurama sat back on his heels and looked at me with a strange mix of pity and regret. "His voice-box is completely crushed. He couldn't speak even if he wanted to. Yukina might be able to heal it, but the wound is old, and it's healed strangely. She might not be able to fix it."  
  
I picked up my flute again and played a bitter, sorrowful note. ~That's right.~  
  
Yusuke continued to stare, and I started to feel uncomfortable. "How the hell did that happen?"  
  
I played a succession of notes. ~Do you have paper, a pen? This is going to be a long story...~  
  
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"... And, finally, I ended up here," I wrote, pausing at intervals to let them read it. I glanced over at Kurama. "Then he started chasing me. I thought you were a plainclothes cop or something, and I wasn't allowed to play music there. I've had trouble with that before. So I ran. And then you two knocked me out. You know the rest."  
  
There was silence for a moment, as the three others absorbed what I had 'told' them.  
  
"Wow," Yusuke said at length. "That's some story."  
  
"So you've been to the Makai?" Kurama asked.  
  
"Yes," I wrote.  
  
"But how did you get past all those monsters?" Kuwabara wanted to know.  
  
I shrugged. "Simple. I just strengthened my illusion, choosing to look like a low-class demon. I looked scrawny enough that nobody would pick a fight with me, and poor enough that nobody tried to rob me."  
  
"How did you get to the Makai?" Kurama asked. "I thought the Reikai kept a tight control on portals."  
  
~Reikai?~ I wondered, then filed it away to ask about later. I took up paper and pen once again. "As it turns out, there's a small, naturally-occurring portal right near where my house used to be."  
  
"No way!" Yusuke exclaimed. "If there were, there would have been demons all over the place! We'd have heard about it by now!"  
  
"Why?" I wanted to know.  
  
"We're Spirit Detectives! It's our job!" he said proudly.  
  
That explained a lot.  
  
"Not necessarily," Kurama chided gently. "I believe the portal may be small enough that only those with low spirit energy can go through it. Taki has little more than the normal level of spirit energy for a human; telepathy and empathy are natural gifts for some. And since a human's spirit energy is much lower than that of any demon, he was able to go through it, while it was useless for demons." He pondered something for a moment. "It may also explain why your father left, Taki."  
  
"Huh?" Now it was my turn to be shocked.  
  
"Portals create resonances along the spiritual plane whenever they are opened," he explained gently. "If your father was a sensitive, with high spirit awareness, he would have felt those resonances. And living so close to a constantly open portal must have been hell for him."  
  
"So that's why..." My fingers echoed my thoughts unconsciously. Then I shook myself. "So, yeah, that's it."  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"Keep going after the bastards who took my sister, of course," I wrote, my hands shaking a little in anger.  
  
"But what are you going to do when you find them?" Kuwabara asked. "I mean, a flute isn't much of a weapon."  
  
"I know some decent control songs," I wrote grimly. "Maybe I could make them commit suicide."  
  
All three objected to this, but Kurama's question rose above the other's. "So you're going to do this alone?"  
  
I looked over at him. I couldn't quite read his expression. He seemed to be simply waiting for my answer, but there was more than that... something protective, maybe...  
  
"Yes," I wrote slowly.  
  
"No!"  
  
I jumped as Yusuke slammed his fists down on the table and stood up. "We're not going to let you go alone," he declared, his eyes burning fiercely. "I don't know who these guys are, but if you face them without backup you'll die."  
  
"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed, stubbornly. "If I lost my sister, I'd fight to get her back no matter what. So I'll fight for this."  
  
"I will come along as well," Kurama said, his eyes sparkling humorously. "I happen to know of a tavern in the Makai where we might find a lead on those two men."  
  
I stared at them, dumbstruck. (Like I wasn't already...) I picked up my flute and played a few notes tremulously. ~You guys... would do that for me?~  
  
"Of course!" Yusuke grinned. "We're supposed to fight demons. Besides, this seems like a worthy enough cause."  
  
Kuwabara was struck by a sudden thought. "But what about Koenma? Would he want us to go on a mission like this?"  
  
Kurama grinned slyly. "I have a plan for that..."  
  
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You'll have to wait to find out what happens next.  
  
See ya! 


	4. Information

This is getting done fast... ^_^  
  
Review responses:  
  
Darkfire180: ^__^ Glad to know that I can make people happy. I like to see my work appreciated.  
  
Naoko Kensaku: ^_^; Neh, what I write tends to be influenced by what I know, and I don't like manipulating things I don't have the original impression of. And my poor, pitiful funds will not afford me the untranslated DVDs where Yusuke turns into a demon. T_T So, for now, there will be no Majin Yusuke in my stories. And Taki can't really sense if someone's a demon, which will be dealt with later in this chapter...  
  
Disclaimer: Taki is mine! *glares* And I don't own YYH.  
  
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Instrumental  
  
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"Absolutely out of the question!"  
  
Koenma glared at us, the papers he'd been stamping lying forgotten on the desk, or else fluttering on the floor with his assistant, Jorge, chasing wildly after them. I'd been informed by the ever-helpful Yusuke and Kuwabara that while he might not look like it, he commanded all of Spirit World while King Yama was away, which was often. And right now he was vetoing their attempts to help me on my search.  
  
"Look, all we need to do is help him find his sister," Yusuke wheedled. "Surely there's enough time between missions to do that? I mean, it couldn't take more than a day or so... not with all of us on it..."  
  
"I said no and I mean no," Koenma snapped, sitting back down and gathering up his papers. "Your time and energy are too valuable to waste on some wild-goose chase!"  
  
Yusuke threw up his hands in disgust. "I give up!"  
  
He stalked back to the rest of us. Kurama sighed and shook his head. "You should have let me handle it from the beginning, Yusuke," he said, moving to speak with the diminutive authority.  
  
"I didn't know he was going to be so tight-assed about it," Yusuke muttered sourly.  
  
Kurama stood before the desk and cleared his throat mildly.  
  
"What is it now?" Koenma said crossly, his attention on the papers he was now fully engaged in stamping.  
  
"With all due respect, sir, Yusuke has not told you the full story of why we wish to help this boy," Kurama said carefully.  
  
Yusuke snorted and rolled his eyes. "Damn fox always has to be so polite," he muttered - careful to speak low enough that they wouldn't hear.  
  
I played a few light notes on my flute. ~Wouldn't hurt for you to take a few lessons.~  
  
"I know enough to see that it's not a top priority, not when you could be tracking down dangerous criminals," Koenma stated, but despite himself, he seemed a bit curious.  
  
Kurama smiled. "But that is exactly my point."  
  
"What do you mean?" He had the godling's full interest now.   
  
Kurama leaned forward conspiratorially. "Taki is not simply on a search for his sister because she ran away or because they were separated. She was taken by two demons, who are at least B-class, possibly higher." He paused for emphasis.  
  
This, unfortunately, was wasted on Koenma, who sat back with a bored and slightly disappointed look on his face. "So? If they'd meant to cause trouble, they would have attacked a large city, not a remote human family."  
  
Kurama coughed. "If I may continue?"  
  
"Go ahead," the tiny ruler said, with a bored wave of the hand.  
  
"These demons may not be as benign as you seem to think. They kidnapped his sister for one specific purpose - to raise a demon so powerful, it could take over all three realms."  
  
I stared at him in surprise. This was news to me. I began to wonder if he knew more about Goron and Chiris than I did - and if so, how?  
  
"With the power then unleashed, I would not be surprised if they came to challenge you personally, Koenma-sama," Kurama continued calmly. "It's only a matter of time before the seal is broken. And if we do not have warning of this, we will not be any more effective in stopping this menace than if it were a steamroller and we ants." Koenma looked more and more panicked as he went on. Then Kurama paused, delicately.  
  
"Unless..."  
  
"Unless what?" Koenma asked nervously, hanging on his every word.  
  
"Unless, of course, you give us leave to go and search for Taki's sister," Kurama stated smoothly. "If we find her, we can prevent her from summoning the de-"  
  
"All right, all right already!" Koenma shouted. "Just go! I don't want any more work on my hands at the moment, so go stop those two!"  
  
"As you wish, sir," Kurama said, bowing. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I caught the slightest hint of a smile on his face.  
  
Once we had gotten out of the throne room and were en route to the portal we would use, I questioned Kurama about what he had said. ~How did you know about what they were planning to do? Despite all that I've done, I haven't managed to gather any information on that...~  
  
"I didn't," Kurama laughed. "I had no idea of what they might do."  
  
Yusuke sweatdropped. "You mean you were bluffing? All that time?"  
  
Kurama shrugged. "Well, most of the demons we've fought all want revenge in some way... and all of the powerful ones have aspirations to conquer the world - or worlds. I just assumed this one would be the same way." He walked on. "Shall we go?"  
  
Yusuke followed, with Kuwabara and I close behind. ~He always has the answers...~ I fluted softly.  
  
Kuwabara shrugged. "Yeah, he's always like that. Sometimes I think it's just that he doesn't think the way we do."  
  
~We?~ I questioned.  
  
"Well, he isn't human, you know..."  
  
~He isn't?~  
  
Our conversation was cut short by our arrival at the portal. Kuwabara shivered, and I remembered about sensitives being affected by open portals.  
  
"Ready?" Yusuke asked, looking at me.   
  
~Yup,~ I answered.  
  
We stepped through the portal together.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We ended up in a meadow, surprisingly like a meadow in the `Ningenkai', as I had learned that our world was called. A light breeze swept over the tall grasses and bright flowers, while trees bordered the expanse. A road at the southern edge signaled the existence of civilized life nearby. It was a far cry from some of the places I'd been in this world - places so like the human world it was scary, complete with drug dealers, prostitutes, gambling, and beings who'd slit your throat just to steal the clothes on your back...  
  
A thought occurred to me, and I smiled grimly. ~I've been through heaven and hell to find you, Shira. Literally.~  
  
~... I hope you appreciate it.~  
  
A blur of black shot past, and I almost lost my balance, so absorbed was I in my thoughts. It halted in front of me, and solidified into a short man with spiky black hair, deep red eyes, and a sword at his belt. I didn't notice much but the eyes, though. They were staring into mine as if they could see my very soul... and I had the uncomfortable feeling that they could.  
  
"Hey, Hiei," said Yusuke, sounding as if he spoke from miles away, instead of right beside me. I barely noticed. The eyes were still locked on mine, and I couldn't move a muscle.  
  
Suddenly, I felt something probing at the edges of my mind. It delved into my memories, the ones I hid from myself so that they didn't hurt so much, and brought them to the surface.   
  
I relived the entire awful experience of my family's slaughter in under a minute - then the presence went through my memories of the last two years.  
  
My fear turned into anger. How dare this thing probe into my memories, into the center of my very being! How dare it touch these painful moments and make me feel the pain again!  
  
I took control, strengthening my shields and roaring at the intruder, ~Get out!~ I touched it to throw it out-  
  
A feeling of cold fire, of defensive walls built and perfected over the centuries, of merging with something that increased the power to more than I could bear, overwhelmed by the power, the memories, the pain, like a tidal wave crashing over me-  
  
The presence withdrew, leaving me staggering inside my own mind. It trailed behind it a feeling of amusement that something so insignificant would challenge it, and slight surprise that it actually could.  
  
I came back to the real world in time to see the blood-red eyes drop from mine. The short man disappeared, to end up leaning against a tree nearby. "Hn," he grunted.  
  
"Hiei approves of you," Yusuke said cheerfully. When I turned to stare at him, he winked. "If he didn't, your head would be rolling on the ground right now."  
  
I looked at Hiei's sword, which, I now saw, was a katana. It was no ornamental piece. It looked like it could slice through flesh and bone... and, judging from the hilt, had been used in that exact same way quite often.  
  
I gulped. ~I'll... remember that,~ I fluted carefully.   
  
"Well, we should get going," Yusuke said, heading towards the road. Then he paused.  
  
"What is it?" Kuwabara asked, looking tense.  
  
"I... have no idea where I'm going."  
  
All of us facefaulted.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Following Kurama's directions (and I don't even want to know how he knew his way around so well), we soon came to the demon city. We were careful to keep to the alleyways, as the sight of humans would likely attract trouble and hungry demons. At last, we arrived at the tavern Kurama had mentioned.   
  
We crouched in an alley near the dusty, dirty street. "This is a typical Makai tavern, so the only ones allowed in are demons," Kurama whispered. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, that rules you two out."  
  
~What about me?~ I piped softly. ~And Hiei,~ I added mentally.  
  
"You should come in with an illusion, since this concerns you in particular," Kurama told me. He looked at the man in black. "Hiei, I'd rather you stayed with the other two, since you would most likely intimidate everyone to the point of speechlessness."  
  
Hiei "hn'd" in response.  
  
That answered my question. Hiei was a demon. It also brought me some small measure of comfort - that I wasn't the only one he scared out of his wits...  
  
~So who's going with me?~ I asked, looking from face to face.  
  
Yusuke grinned, and Kurama chuckled.   
  
~Okay, what's the joke?~ I fluted crossly.   
  
They looked at each other. "You feeling up to a transformation?" Yusuke asked Kurama.   
  
Kurama shrugged, a slight smile touching his lips. "Oh, I think I can handle it."  
  
He got up and backed against the wall. I was still wondering was going on, when smoke arose around Kurama. I bit back a noise of surprise, recalling where we were. Then the smoke cleared.  
  
I stared, open-mouthed, at the creature that now stood before us. White, furry fox ears sat atop his head, twitching slightly. His long, silver hair flowed down the back of his tunic, almost touching the tail that poked out from his robe. Amber eyes regarded me with amusement.  
  
"He affects everyone that way - guys AND girls," Yusuke murmured, noticing my stare. I hastily shut my mouth and tried to look as if people transformed into fox-guys every day.   
  
"In this form, I am known as Youko," the fox said. (Now I understood why Yusuke had called him `fox' earlier.) The expression in those amber eyes reassured me. He might look different, but he was still the Kurama I knew.  
  
Ku- I mean, Youko- took a mocking bow and swept his hand towards the door. "Shall we enter?"  
  
~You first,~ I piped.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the door swung open, several pairs of eyes - disproportionately large, on stalks, and more than usual - swiveled towards us, then turned back to whatever they were doing. I was rather tense, since this was a very complicated illusion. Rather than my ordinary one, which was the guise of a scrawny, low-class demon, I had woven a special cloak of music for the occasion. Whoever looked at me wouldn't see a human boy, but a demon, and a pretty unremarkable one at that. But - to make sure nobody remembered me - the cloak showed a demon that looked vaguely like someone they knew and trusted, and that they wouldn't think unusual to see with a higher-class demon.   
  
Youko led me to the bar, and we sat down on bar stools that were slightly modified. (They had holes for tails.) He was apparently waiting for someone.  
  
That someone became clear as the bartender bustled over. He looked just like a fat, friendly human bartender. Except that his skin was green. And he had four arms. And three eyes. And a horn. And... you get my drift. He was a demon.  
  
"Youko!" he exclaimed. "Haven't seen you in a long time! I thought you were dead." He looked expectantly at Youko, obviously wanting a complete account of how he escaped. He was to be disappointed, however.   
  
"So did the ones that shot me," Youko laughed. "I'll have one of your famous Helvana Fireballs. The young one here-" He clapped my shoulder playfully. "-will just have a Moltani."   
  
"Would you like that with or without cream?" he asked kindly. I just stared at him, not wanting to try and use my flute. I was also afraid to ask, ~Cream of what?~  
  
"What's wrong with him?" the bartender frowned.  
  
"Traders," Youko lied smoothly. "They cut out his tongue. Show him, Taki."  
  
Obligingly, I started to open my mouth, but whatever the bartender saw was good enough because he shuddered and motioned for me to close it. He then bustled off to get our drinks.   
  
"Whatever you do, don't drink the Moltani," Youko whispered to me. "It wasn't meant for human stomachs."  
  
I nodded. Since I wasn't sure what the Moltani was made of, this seemed like the best course of action.   
  
When the portly demon returned with our drinks, Youko thanked him and dug some oddly-shaped money from his pocket. (That robe has pockets?) He sipped his drink, casually, while the bartender stared at me with a curious expression.   
  
"Interesting youngster," he said. "He's the spitting image of old Kuronue."  
  
Youko nearly spat out his drink in surprise. As it was, he choked, and had to be assisted by the bartender so that he wouldn't keel over.  
  
He gave me an astonished look. I stared back helplessly and shrugged. There hadn't been time to warn him what I would do. The illusion must have incorporated someone from Youko's past into it.  
  
"Yes," Youko said slowly, still staring at me. "He's Kuronue's son. I had a devil of a time finding him." He shook himself briskly. "But that's not why we came here, Tashkrvah."  
  
"Oh?" Tashkrvah - or whatever his name was - lifted one eyebrow. "What's the occasion, then?"  
  
Youko leaned forward conspiratorially, and I was struck by how similar this was to the scene with Koenma. "We would like to know if you have any information concerning a blond-haired demon, B-class, by the name of Chiris, and his partner Goron. See, we have some problems that we'd like to take up with them..."  
  
The bartender scratched his head. "Not much I can tell you. They used to be in here a lot, buying drinks and trying to be tough. But a couple of years ago, they stopped coming so frequently, and when they did come they were - different. There was a sense of real power, y'know? And they started preaching about this old god, trying to get people to `convert, and see the light' or something." We caught our breaths at that. "Nobody joined `em, though," he continued, and we surreptitiously relaxed. "Load of horse crap, in my opinion. But..."  
  
He frowned and scrunched up his face in concentration. "Last I heard, they made camp somewhere on Caer Fallis," he said at last. "No one goes up there anymore. They scared everything else away."  
  
"Thank you for your time, friend," Youko said as he rose. I got up, too, noticing that while I hadn't touched my drink, Youko had somehow found time to completely drain his. "You've helped us a lot."  
  
He nodded to me, and we made our way towards the exit.  
  
"Come back any time!" the bartender called after us.  
  
We met up with the others outside of the tavern. "Well?" Yusuke said impatiently.   
  
Youko laughed. "Patience is a virtue, Yusuke. We did find out where they make camp, and-" He stopped, and sniffed the air. Then his eyes went wide.  
  
That was all the warning we had. Suddenly, the air was full of gas, a noxious, oily green substance. Everyone in the street started coughing, and fell to the ground.  
  
I gasped, clutching my throat. This stuff was paralyzing me, making it hard to breathe. My mind grew fuzzy as I fell on my face.  
  
Someone was coming towards me. I squinted, trying to make out details. Blond hair... a green mask...  
  
~A gas mask,~ I realized suddenly. ~Chiris!~  
  
A hand reached toward me...  
  
Suddenly, Hiei was in front of me. His movements were slowed and dull because of the gas, but his katana was planted firmly at the base of the man's throat, and his voice was rock-steady. "Touch him and you die," he growled.  
  
~Wait a minute... he's protecting me? HIEI is protecting ME? Pigs will start sprouting wings any moment now...~  
  
A movement caught the corner of my eye, and I twisted my head with a massive effort. Someone with black hair, also wearing a mask, was approaching Hiei from behind.   
  
~Hiei!~ I tried to make some noise to warn him, but all that came out was a soft hiss. He must have caught my mental whisper, because his head swung around. Unfortunately, that only meant that he got punched in the face, instead of slugged over the head.  
  
He dropped, and I began to lose my tenuous grip on consciousness. The last thing I saw were those hands reaching towards me, the same ones that had crippled me years ago.  
  
~No...~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wow. In quite a bit of trouble, isn't he?  
  
Review, and I work faster! 


	5. Summoner

Wow. I can't believe it's almost over.  
  
Review responses:  
  
Matthias Drake the White Raven: O.o I won't say a word... scary laugh frightens me...  
  
Naoko Kensaku: *glowing with pride* Thank you so much! O.o How did you know?! I really, REALLY want to be an author, and write original fiction! So... that means a lot to me. Thanks.  
  
Darkfire180: But I rule suspense. ^_~ You think that's good? It's nothing compared to the final twist...  
  
Disclaimer: Taki now owns himself, so I own nothing. T_T  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Instrumental  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
My mind slowly surfaced from a haze of half-remembered dreams and unnamed horrors. I felt that I was lying on a cold stone floor, but didn't open my eyes to discover my surroundings. That would have taken too much effort. I simply lay there, facedown on the floor.  
  
~This is the second time I've been knocked unconscious in as many days,~ I thought grimly.  
  
~When I wake up, somebody's going to pay.~  
  
After lying on the floor for some time, clearing my head, I thought I had recovered the strength enough to stand.   
  
I tried to get up, slipped on a stone, and fell flat on my face.  
  
Or not.  
  
A chuckle alerted me to the fact that there were others near. I tensed, and with a massive effort, rose to a half-kneeling crouch.  
  
Two men lounged by the base of what might have been an altar to some obscene pagan god. Cold, cruel amusement was in their eyes, and the laughter coming from their throats had an unpleasant quality to it - like they would murder babies without a second thought. And enjoy it.   
  
Memory flooded back as I gazed on them. The three boys, finding me playing my flute, going to Koenma, the bar, the capture-  
  
My eyes narrowed as I regarded them with pure hatred, and my fingers tightened unconsciously on my flute. A moment's thought was spared to surprise at the fact that it had been left with me.  
  
"It's no good trying to run," Chiris informed me. "The effects of that gas will last for another four hours."  
  
~Fine. It's not like I have anywhere to run to,~ I thought to myself. ~But... why am I not in chains? Or tied up? Wouldn't that have been easier than gassing me?~  
  
As if reading my thoughts, Goron grinned. "You're not supposed to be hurt," he rumbled. "Yet."  
  
I spared him a glance of contempt. Why was it that the stupid ones were always the villains?  
  
Chiris elbowed Goron in the ribs forcefully. Apparently, he had as much tolerance for his partner's stupidity as I did.   
  
Goron winced and rubbed the spot, as Chiris turned to address me once again. "It would be stupid to harm you at the moment," he said, casually. "We had a devil of a time finding you. At first, we thought you were dead, like the rest of them." He winced at a memory only he and his partner could sense. "The master... was displeased with us for that." His eyes darted to the statue for a moment, then back again.  
  
This drew my gaze to the monument for the first time, and I stiffened.   
  
The carven monstrosity was a hideous amalgamation of beasts. A patch of scales there, feathers here, slimy, porous skin elsewhere. Horns and tails poked out at odd places. Yet despite all this, it seemed that all the patchworked parts were carefully chosen for power, and woven together in a pattern that promised death for anyone foolish enough to challenge it. But that wasn't the worst part.  
  
The worst part was that the statue was alive.  
  
I could see the actual bits of skin overlaying the stone where it was becoming real, and I could sense a sentient mind behind the sculpted mask. The mind was dormant, as it had been for a long time, but it was there. And it was hungry.  
  
Chiris was speaking again. I tore my thoughts away from the statue and listened.   
  
"Imagine our joy when we found you were alive. But then you kept moving around. Why couldn't you stay in one place, dammit?" he demanded angrily, his face twisted into a scowl. "For every day you weren't found, he punished us more!"  
  
His ugly face slid into a sadistic grin once again. "So when he's through with you... then WE'LL have our fun. THEN you'll die slowly. And..." He licked his lips. "Painfully."  
  
If his speech was meant to inspire fear in me, it didn't work. It was just one more thing to add to my hatred and their growing list of crimes.  
  
I wished I could say something clever and heroic - about how their plan would never work, or a threat, or some witty insult about their intelligence. But the man in front of me had effectively eliminated any possibility of doing that. All I could do was glare.  
  
~Wait a sec! Kurama said something about me using telepathy, triggered by the music I play. That's how I can use the music as my voice.~ I eyed the statue warily. ~I can't risk playing music in front of that thing - I don't know what tune might wake it up. But maybe - maybe I can use my telepathy without my music!~  
  
~That's assuming I'll leave you two alive,~ I shot back. ~I was thinking more of worms than murderers.~  
  
Chiris stepped back, a look of surprise on his face, but Goron's eyes darkened with rage. He stepped forward, bringing up a meaty arm to hit me with. "Why, you little..."  
  
I stared up at him boldly, with a look of contempt in my eyes and a superior expression. I wasn't afraid of getting beaten, especially not by this idiot.  
  
Chiris, however, put an arm out to stop him. He regarded me with amusement as his partner growled. "Well, well, the mouse has teeth. Save your anger, Goron," he advised, glancing at the muscle-bound man. When he turned back to me, he wore an expression of sadistic pleasure, oozing malevolence from every pore.  
  
"That can wait until after the Summoning is complete."  
  
~I'm not summoning any demons,~ I declared firmly.  
  
He chuckled softly - the same chuckle I had heard when his hands were crushing my throat. "Oh, I don't think you have a choice."  
  
The two men backed away from me, one on either side of the altar. Goron's ugly countenance was now wearing an expression identical to his partner's. I began to feel a bit uneasy. Both of them seemed to know what was going to happen next... and I had a feeling that anything they liked would not be very pleasant...  
  
A noise caught my attention. I jerked my head up - or tried to, at least. The gas was still slowing my movements.  
  
I forgot all about the gas when I saw what was happening.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kurama came to his senses slowly. His eyelids fluttered, then opened.  
  
Yusuke and Kuwabara were still lying where they had fallen. Hiei was slightly off to one side, his katana lying next to him. There was no sign of Taki.  
  
Kurama got up slowly, cursing his stiff muscles. He noticed that he was back in his human form - and also that the stiffness was not the kind you get from lying down in the middle of a street.  
  
~The poison gas,~ he realized. ~It has done more damage than I thought.~  
  
Knowing the cause, he brought his hand up to his hair, in which he stored particularly useful plants. Unless ordered otherwise, they grew as tiny seedlings attached to his scalp. Now he told one to let go and drop into his hand.   
  
Kurama put the plant in the dirt beside him and exerted a bit of his youki. It quickly grew into a six-foot high bush with dark, ripe berries. He picked one and placed it in his mouth. The taste was bitter and unpleasant, but he could move normally again.  
  
Kurama picked three more of the berries, thanked the plant, and shrank it to a seedling once again. His companions were soon awakened by the berries' bitter taste.  
  
"Yechh!" Yusuke exclaimed, spitting onto the ground beside him. "What the hell was that, Kurama?"  
  
"Yeah, it tasted like a rotten coffee bean," added Kuwabara.  
  
Hiei shot him a scathing glance. "I don't even want to know how you knew that," he said.  
  
Kurama ignored the comments. "The berry was a medicine to counteract the effects of the gas," he explained. "Where is the boy?"  
  
"Beats me," Yusuke shrugged. "I just blacked out."  
  
Hiei stiffened, remembering suddenly. "He was taken."  
  
"By who?"  
  
"Two men. A black-haired and a blond. They knocked me out before I could kill them."  
  
~Chiris and Goron,~ Kurama thought, his eyes wide with alarm. He stood quickly. "I know of their hideout. They will be at Caer Fallis. Follow me! Hurry!"  
  
The four boys raced to the temple, each of them hoping grimly that it wasn't too late...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stood frozen as the horror unfolded in front of my eyes. The statue was shifting, the patches of reality changing shape as I watched. The actual stone didn't move, but its spirit did. Worst of all, I sensed that hungry mind come awake.   
  
And all its attention was focused on me.  
  
Then I felt a song come into my head with the force of a sledgehammer. ~Play this,~ the power demanded. ~Play this! Wake me!~  
  
I cried out, putting my hands to my head and slumping to my knees. ~Stop... it hurts... It hurts! Get out! GET OUT!!~  
  
~PLAY!!!~ it roared, and I screamed, a wordless cry of pain.  
  
The two demons watched my writhings greedily, as if it were some sort of show to which they had front-row seats. Every now and then they'd laugh.  
  
"You can't resist it," taunted Chiris. "If you do, you only get more pain. Of course, you might still die, if you're not strong enough to play it. If you fight it." He grinned. "The girl did."   
  
"It killed her from the inside out."  
  
My eyes snapped open.  
  
~Killed her from the inside out... killed her from... killed her... killed her... killed...~  
  
The words bounced around in my head as the temple was enveloped in a sudden stillness. The silence was broken by a small, quavering whisper. "N-no..."  
  
"SHIRAAAAAAAA!!!!!"  
  
Belatedly, I realized that it was my own voice screaming the name. I was on my feet, tears streaming down my cheeks, my fists clenched tight with my flute in my right hand. Then the tears stopped, and my eyes narrowed in rage.  
  
Sometime during this, the four boys I had befriended rushed in, and were stopped with awe.   
  
They say that my aura became physical, cold flames of blue-green fire. They say that my flute lengthened and twisted, becoming a musical sword that sang as it cut through the air. They say that I no longer looked human, but like an avenging angel. Or a god.  
  
I wouldn't know. The only thing I was aware of then was that I had a sword in my hand, and the s.o.b.s that killed Shira were right in front of me.  
  
"You bastards," I spat. "You'll pay for what you did!"  
  
I launched myself at them, heedless of the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about swordplay. Luckily, both of them had stunned and frightened looks on their faces, and were slow in scrabbling for their weapons. I slew Goron in three quick strokes.  
  
As I turned to do away with the second vermin, I met a blade with my own. Chiris had recovered his senses and was coming at me with his sword.  
  
He had an advantage over me in that he knew what he was doing, but I was fueled by pure grief and rage. He thrust; I blocked. He slashed; I parried. Every little movement pushed him further back until his back touched the wall.   
  
Chiris attempted to step backward and his eyes widened as he realized there was nowhere else to go. His movements became desperate, sloppy. He was fighting for his life and he knew it.  
  
The deadly dance ended when he foolishly slashed upward, leaving his right side wide open. I ran my sword through his stomach, coldly satisfied by the sight of the dark stain spreading on his shirt.  
  
"Now die," I hissed.  
  
"You... fool!" he choked, his fingers clutching the slash as if somehow hoping to hold it together. Bright red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. "If... we die... then..."  
  
His sentence was never to be completed, as his eyes rolled up in his head and he slid to the ground. But the cold feeling of dread trickling down my neck told me that I was about to find out what he had been trying to say.  
  
Someone gasped, and I whirled to see a mist rising from the body of Goron. It made a sound as it rose, and I realized that these were the notes of the song I had been ordered to play. More mist was rising from Chiris' body. It joined with the other mist, and, hovering in front of the altar, fluted out the piece of music that would wake the demon.  
  
I stared at it with a nasty, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Now I understood.   
  
The piece of music did wake the demon, but it required a talented musician to play it, one that could withstand the power. However, the ancient demon who had been sealed here had inserted another rule. The sacrifice of its two slaves - for that was what they had been - would also awaken it, with the power unleashed from their death. Unwilling to commit suicide, the demons had searched for a musician to play the music. They had found Shira.  
  
But she hadn't worked out well, resisting to the last. And they had believed that the entire family was dead. Until I had come along. And, stupidly, walked right into their hands.  
  
And now the demon was being resurrected.  
  
The mist finished its ominous serenade and dissipated. For a moment, I hoped it hadn't worked. Then the ground started shaking.  
  
To my left, a pillar collapsed; behind me, I heard sounds that meant my friends were getting out of the way. I wasn't paying any particular attention, for the statue had started to move.  
  
Large pieces of stone flaked off, revealing skin and scales of poisonous shades. A terrible roar shook the temple still further, as the beast regained use of its lungs.  
  
My mind whirled as I watched the event, trying to find a way out. I couldn't let this beast walk the earth again! But how to stop it? How-?  
  
Suddenly, with an undeniable conviction, I knew exactly what to do. So suddenly that I expected an otherworldly hand in it.  
  
My sword shrank back to a flute in my hands, and I moved in front of the altar. Heedless of the huge ceiling stones crashing down around me, I put my trusty flute to my lips and began to play.  
  
~With music unleashed,  
  
Now with music return.  
  
Seal this demon inside  
  
with a key none may learn.  
  
You shall not pass -   
  
this place is your tomb.  
  
Sleep now, die now,  
  
and bring not others' doom.~  
  
Gradually, the roaring subsided. The patches of skin shrank into mist, and then into nothing. The monster had taken me at my word - it was dying. Then there was nothing left but a crumbling stone statue.  
  
I stood there as the emotions and anger that had fueled me drained away, leaving numbness in their place. My hands went limp as the flute dropped from them and rolled away, coming to a stop in the nearby rubble. My knees gave way, and I slumped, to be caught by a pair of warm arms. I only found out later that they were Kurama's. I leaned on the person's chest and wept.  
  
"She's dead," I sobbed into the encircling arms. "Shira's dead... she's dead..."  
  
And as I cried my heart out for the loss of a sister I had been searching for for over two years, nature mirrored my grief. The heavens broke, and a light rain swept over the ruins of my life.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And the victory has been gained...  
  
but, I ask you, at what cost?  
  
When does a victory become a loss?"  
  
- The Definition of a Pyrrhic Victory  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*whistles* Deeply moving stuff.  
  
I've got one more chapter - well, half-chapter - for you guys. Until then, simply review. And if you've got any questions for Taki, he says he'd be glad to answer them. 


	6. Aftermath

I'M SO SORRY!  
I know I should have updated before this, but I just couldn't find the time or inspiration. Please forgive me? sniff  
This is it - the epilogue. After this, it's done. Review responses:  
  
Darkfire180: I managed to surprise you? Great! I was hoping no one would figure it out.  
Naoko Kensaku: You... didn't like it? (feels crushed) TT But... I like tying up loose ends... In that case, you'd better just skip this chapter.

* * *

Instrumental

"You mean you're really leaving us?"

I hoisted my backpack up and looked at Keiko, who was standing in the doorway with a worried expression on her face. "Yeah. I figure that if Shira's -" I swallowed hard, still having trouble believing it, then said firmly, "- if Shira's dead, then there's no point in me burdening you further."

After the smoke from the rubble had cleared, the Tantei had brought me back to the Ningenkai still crying silently and totally exhausted. Yusuke had graciously lent me the use of his guest bedroom while I recovered from the physical and emotional impact of my ordeal.

As to my sudden rediscovery of my voice, Yukina examined me and said she had never seen anything like it. Apparently, during the period in which my spirit energy was surging, the damage to my voicebox had repaired itself, reverting to the way it was before Chiris had choked me.

"At least let us throw you a going-away party," Keiko protested. "You have to say goodbye properly."

I hesitated, then sighed and smiled. "I guess you're right."

* * *

Kurama watched the young boy as he gathered up his belongings and went over to the dusty road near the picnic site. The party had been a mixture of happiness and sadness, as their new friend was about to go on a long journey. Taki didn't even know where he was going to go, and had said so several times. These final moments were tense.

The chatter slowly died down as all in attendance realized that Taki was about to say something. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"My friends," he began, "it's been great knowing you. And I'm really happy that I got to meet you all, and grateful for what you've done for me. But music is my life, and I've chosen the role of a wanderer. I can't stay here any longer." He bowed. "Thank you again for helping me, and I hope we meet again."

Taki hugged each of the girls, shook hands with Yusuke and Kuwabara, and spent several seconds in a staring match with Hiei. Kurama had the feeling that there was a silent conversation between those two.

When he came to Kurama, the young musician hesitated, then threw his arms around the kitsune. "Thank you for taking care of me," he whispered as he slipped something into Kurama's hand.

Taki stepped back and stood awkwardly by the roadside. "Well - goodbye," he said, and started down the road. Then he stopped, as if struck by a sudden thought. "Oh, and check the table. There's some gifts there for you all."

Kurama watched as Taki strolled down the road into the sunset. He heard shouts of pleasure coming from behind him as the others discovered the carved whistles at their places. He opened his hand and stared at the gift left to him.

It was necklace, composed of a silver quarter-note on a black ribbon. Kurama understood the significance of this gift.

During his recovery, Taki had requested that he go back to Caer Fallis in order to erect a grave for his sister. While he was digging a hole for the stone, he suddenly stopped and picked something up. He stared at at it for a long while. "This was my sister's," he had said. He pocketed the item and kept digging.

Kurama knew that this item had been the necklace.

He looked up again. The boy had disappeared from view into the sunset. However, as he listened, a simple melody came floating back up the hill. And forever after, Kurama would connect with a young boy whose music was his voice.

END

Yay! It's done! Not worth waiting for, was it? (sweatdrop)

Thank you so much for staying with me, and I promise I'll complete the others soon.

Really.

PS: I now officially hate QuickEdit. I know it finally allows me to use bold and italics, but it cuts out all of the symbols! _And_ the indentations! I can't even use stars anymore! It's not worth it.


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